1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to equipment security apparatus in general and in particular to apparatus for locking equipment to a horizontal or vertical surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Office equipment, such as desktop central processing units, file servers, tower-type personal computers, laser printers, facsimile machines, desktop copy machines, entertainment equipment, such as television sets in hotel, motel and hospital rooms, and numerous other types of equipment and apparatus, such as found in laboratories, which are relatively light weight and small in size are susceptible of being stolen when left unattended for even brief periods of time.
Among the various types of lockable security apparatus that have been proposed to prevent thefts of equipment such as described above is apparatus comprising equipment mounted members which have outwardly extending appendages and surface mounted members which comprise means for engaging the appendages and locking the equipment to the surface mounted members. Illustrative of such apparatus is the apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,228,658 which was granted to applicant on Jul. 20, 1993.
In the patent there is disclosed an equipment security apparatus comprising a pair of locking members, one of the locking members comprises a disc-shaped member for attaching the locking member to a surface of an object to be secured and a locking pin extending outwardly therefrom, the locking pin being terminated by an enlarged end portion. The other locking member comprises a box-shaped housing having a mounting surface for attaching the locking member to a surface to which the object is to be secured and a key actuated locking bar which is rotatable from an open position to a closed position when the key is rotated for capturing the enlarged end portion of the locking pin when the locking pin is inserted in a hole or slot provided therefor in the locking member.
A disadvantage of the patented apparatus is that by pulling, twisting and prying the equipment secured by the two locking members, it has been found that it is possible to separate the two locking members.